Grand Theft Auto IV Walkthrough & Strategy Guide

Welcome one and all to our basics section. Here, you'll find information on various facets of Grand Theft Auto IV that will allow you to master the fundamentals. With the fundamentals fully mastered, your GTAIV experience will become both easier and more enjoyable. On this page, you will find all of our basics, while on the next page, you'll find our ten tips that will make your stay in Liberty City an overly-dangerous and successful one. Read on!

The Fundamentals

Grand Theft Auto IV, like all prior GTA games, has you living a life of crime. There's really no avoiding it. Some crimes are considered so minor in Liberty City (like running red lights) that you won't get in trouble for those. In fact, you can get away with just about anything that doesn't involve rampant killing (especially with firearms, which tend to draw cops' attention).

But there are many crimes in GTAIV that are necessary and much more difficult to get away with. Main character Niko Bellic, a dangerous ex-soldier from Eastern Europe, has committed his fair share of crimes back in his homeland. But when he comes to America, a whole new group of crimes become necessary to commit just to guarantee his day-to-day survival. This is when the nitty-gritty of GTAIV truly comes into play.

The game is mission-based, and almost every mission will have you commit a crime of some sort. You may have to boost a car, deliver some drugs, or even murder one or more people to get the all-valuable payout at the end of any mission. These missions come from contractors, usually friends of yours or friends of friends that need the assistance of a ruthless man like Niko. At the end of every mission, varying amounts of money will be rewarded. Committing these crimes is simply a means to an end for Niko.

There are also numerous side quests (such as "jobs") and relationships to nurture, both with females interested in Niko as more than friend, and with friends you meet along the way that will help you or hurt you depending on how you treat them. This adds a whole different layer to the GTAIV experience that requires attention to detail.

Ultimately, your progression through GTAIV is measured in-game by a percentage meter that can be viewed via the game's statistics. The more you do, the more you manage to accomplish, the higher your rating will become. That's the idea. But there's a method to the madness, and all of that is discussed below and in the subsequent "ten tips" page.

Stealing Cars

Stealing cars is simple. All you have to do is walk up to a parked car (or a car going slowly) and press the corresponding button on your controller set-up that will allow you to boost the car. Once in the car, be especially mindful of your surroundings. Try not to boost cars around cops so you don't draw attention to yourself, and be careful of aggressive crime victims who will fight back if their car is stolen. Because of this, you'll want to make a point of getting out of dodge as soon as any given car is stolen.

GTAIV introduces a complex and in-depth vehicle system, where all vehicles handle differently. Not only do various makes of car differ from one another, but the amount of damage they take will also affect how they handle. You can actually stall out cars that take too much damage, and if they take the ultimate amount of damage, they will be set ablaze. That's your cue to run the hell away before the car explodes, likely taking you with it to the next world.

As an aside, parked cars are usually easier to steal, but will require some extra effort. Most parked cars will need to be broken into, which takes time and draws attention to yourself. Cars stolen like this also need to be hotwired (which requires some simple button-tapping). Also be weary of stolen cars with alarms, as these will draw even more unneeded attention to yourself, especially when you're driving around Liberty City with your alarm blaring.

Protecting Yourself

Your arsenal of weapons will grow by leaps and bounds as you head through the game, and it's important to understand how these weapons work, and which weapons work best in which situations. Our Vehicles & Arsenal section will cover these weapons in-depth (including the game's ultimate weapons -- the cars themselves), but in the meantime, let us say a brief word or two about the weapons here for any new players.

You'll always have your fists available to you. These are the weakest weapons in the game, but work well enough against foes who are also equipped with their fists. Then, there are melee weapons like baseball bats that give you an edge in hand-to-hand combat. However, most enemies worth a damn are equipped with guns, and the best way to fight fire is with fire.

Pistols are the weakest firearm in the game, but the most readily-available. From there, you'll work up to semi-automatic and automatic weapons like Uzis, and then to explosives, such as Molotov Cocktails. It's important to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each weapon (for instance, Molotov Cocktails are incredibly powerful, but they're also especially easy to kill yourself with). With practice comes this knowledge, so keep an eye on the situation as you progress through the game, and as more and more powerful weapons become available you'll be able to use them with skill and ease.